ISH and Cinnamon Hotels Unveil Leadership Program to Develop Future General Managers
The Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) has introduced an intensive leadership development program in collaboration with Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, spanning Sri Lanka and the Maldives. This initiative is part of a six-month engagement that commenced following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier this year.
Experiential Learning Across Key Cities
The inaugural cohort, comprising 15 senior managers from Cinnamon Hotels, completed a week-long bootcamp at the ISH campus in Gurugram. This was followed by a week-long orientation across The Leela Palace properties in New Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Bengaluru. The customized program aims to prepare high-potential talent for General Manager roles as Cinnamon expands its brand and enters the luxury hospitality segment.
Academia-Industry Curriculum Integration
The program featured modules delivered by faculty from both academia and the industry, focusing on key areas such as Finance, Digital Transformation, Marketing, and People Leadership. The orientation at The Leela’s iconic luxury hotels offered participants comprehensive exposure to both guest experiences and back-end operations, ensuring immersive training in delivering high-end hospitality.
Executive Education via ISH Business Solutions
This initiative is part of ISH Business Solutions, the executive education arm of the institution, which is dedicated to delivering capability-building programs for the hospitality and service industries. Backed by ISH’s academic strengths and its global ties with Sommet Education, the vertical reinforces ISH’s ongoing commitment to the industry across India and international markets.
Insights from Leadership
“The need to build a strong pipeline of future General Managers remains a strategic priority across the global hospitality sector. Future-ready brands like Cinnamon Hotels recognise the value of investing in human capital as they pursue rapid regional growth. ISH is delighted to be their knowledge partners to support the continued learning of their managers,” said Dilip Puri, Founder and Executive Chairman, Indian School of Hospitality.
Building Future-Ready Hospitality Leaders
With the hospitality sector undergoing continuous transformation, ISH remains committed to developing future-ready talent through programs that bridge academia and industry. The collaboration with Cinnamon Hotels exemplifies this mission, especially at a time when leadership development is a clear strategic priority for the sector.
“This initiative is designed to immerse our high-potential talent in transformative, real-world experiences that broaden their global outlook and enhance their leadership capabilities,” said Ishara Naufal, Senior Vice President – Human Resources, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts. “By investing in hands-on, future-focused development, we are not only strengthening our leadership pipeline but also reinforcing our commitment to positioning Cinnamon as a globally competitive hospitality brand.”
